Secção: IndieMusic

In the early 1990s, when hip-hop wasrisingin the USA, a bunch of kids fromthisside of the ocean were intensely listening to Mobb Deep, Wu-Tang Clan, Cypress Hill or De La Soul. They created a lively hip-hop culture in Porto, Portugal.

Studio 54 was the epicenter of 70s hedonism, a place that not only redefined the nightclub but also came to symbolize an entire era. Now, 39 years later, a feature documentary tells the real story behind the greatest club of all time.

Glasgow, beginning of the 1990’s: the spring spirit is simmering under suburban garages, where there is a nervous and energetic music cauldron from which arose bands like Teenage Fanclub, The Jesus and Mary Chain and Primal Scream. An unforgettable moment for indie music.

Portrait of Ryuichi Sakamoto, from pop icon of Japan’s technological aspirations to leading activist post-Fukushima, returning to music after a cancer for a major opus that may be his last. An intimate portrait of the man and his creative process.

A portrait of renowned percussionist Milford Graves, exploring his kaleidoscopic creativity.Milford Graves Full Mantisoscillates from present to past and weaves intimate glimpses of the artist’s complex cosmology with blistering performances all over the world.

Mathangi “Maya” Arulpragasam – better known as M.I.A. – is probably the most transgressive pop star in recent years.Matangi/Maya/M.I.A.portrays a woman who is a musical earthquake, but also a political one: always ready to call into question all forms of conservatism.

The all-female band L7 was composed by charismatic members who struggled against music industry and fan expectations.L7:Pretend We’re Deadis a real time journey witnessing the rise, fall, and ultimate redemption of these fierce feminist pioneers.

Through a series of interviews withpast and presenticonicmusicians, this documentary tracks down the American roots of techno and house music, brings the era of illegal raves to life, and tells the extraordinary tale of French Touch.

The Slits were agirls bandcreated in 1976 (that ended in 2010, when their lead vocalist, Ari Up, passed away). Godmothers of “Punky Reggae” they formed a feminist movement that never became mainstream but needs to be remembered.

Hip to da Hop is a journey through Portugal focusing on four elements that are the base of the hip hop culture: rapping, DJing, breakdancing and graffiti. A documentary that seeks to understand how each artist “appropriates their country’s culture in different ways”.

We are in the 1980s, in the state of Los Angeles, in the middle of the desert and suddenly we find a music and performance event.Desolation Centertells the story of a series of guerrilla mode happenings that were the response to the repressive years of the Reagan administration.

In 1997, the Western world was first introduced to the rich musical history of Ethiopia through the Éthiopiques series of CDs. The eponymous documentary tells the story of the French music journalist Francis Falceto, who masterminded this famous series.

Funk Queen Betty Davis changed the landscape for female artists in America. She “was the first Madonna before Madonna” as Miles Davis said. Despite being banned and boycotted, she went on to become the first black woman to perform, write and manage herself.

Shot on three continents, this film provides a look at Christopher Kirkley’s project “Sahel Sounds”: a blog, record label and platform to explore arts and music of the Sahel region through non-traditional ethnographic fieldwork.

Sleaford Mods have been called “the voice of Britain”, “Britain’s angriest band” and “The world’s greatest rock ‘n’ roll band” by Iggy Pop. This film follows them on their two-year journey from Sherwood to chart success.

Legendary musician Frank Zappa is portrayed in this documentary through interviews, concert performances and archival footage, offering insight into the life and career on one of the major artists from the 20th century.

Cult band Laibach becomes the first foreign rock group ever to perform in North Korea. Confronting strict ideology and cultural differences, the band struggles to get their songs through the needle’s eye of censorship.